Palau in Oceania, a group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines, is well known for having some of the best diving spots in the world. In fact, hundreds of scuba divers - of all skill levels, visit the country year after year. But what does Palau have in store for the tourists on a no-dive day? Well, on days when diving is not an option, you may want to have an excursion of some sort - get to know the other side of the island nation a little bit more. Some very interesting attractions in Palau that no traveler should miss are the ancient monoliths.
The Palauan locals, particularly those residing in the Koror and Babeldaob islands, refer to these monolithic stone carvings as "klidm." The term is the equivalent of the English word "face." Various studies have been conducted about these ancient stone faces. Some researchers have pointed out their resemblance to those found on the Easter Island. Still, the history and mystery behind these stone faces have not been entirely unraveled. Until this day, a lot of locals attach religious and sacred meanings to the monoliths.
You can catch a glimpse of some of these monolithic stone carvings along the roads of Babeldaob. Others are located in more remote areas - standing alongside houses and villagers.
Stones of Badrulchau
These ancient monoliths can be found at the northern end of the island of Babeldaob. The stones are reminiscent of the Easter Island statues. Around thirty-seven basalt rocks stand alongside each other and arranged in two rows. The locals believe that the monoliths may have supported a huge bai (a traditional meeting place) in the past. In addition, six of the stones have carved faces on them.
Another popular Palau legend claims that spirits erected the monoliths in an attempt to create a huge building. However, the rising sun broke off the nocturnal construction, and the work never carried on since then.
Odalmelech Stone Faces
The Palauan locals, particularly those residing in the Koror and Babeldaob islands, refer to these monolithic stone carvings as "klidm." The term is the equivalent of the English word "face." Various studies have been conducted about these ancient stone faces. Some researchers have pointed out their resemblance to those found on the Easter Island. Still, the history and mystery behind these stone faces have not been entirely unraveled. Until this day, a lot of locals attach religious and sacred meanings to the monoliths.
You can catch a glimpse of some of these monolithic stone carvings along the roads of Babeldaob. Others are located in more remote areas - standing alongside houses and villagers.
Stones of Badrulchau
These ancient monoliths can be found at the northern end of the island of Babeldaob. The stones are reminiscent of the Easter Island statues. Around thirty-seven basalt rocks stand alongside each other and arranged in two rows. The locals believe that the monoliths may have supported a huge bai (a traditional meeting place) in the past. In addition, six of the stones have carved faces on them.
Another popular Palau legend claims that spirits erected the monoliths in an attempt to create a huge building. However, the rising sun broke off the nocturnal construction, and the work never carried on since then.
Odalmelech Stone Faces
The monolithic stone carvings found on several islands of the country distinctly reflect the culture and tradition of the Palauan people. The mystery that shrouds each of the numerous monoliths have made the figures more interesting.
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